Rova looks almost berzerk after the fight - breathing heavily and half grunting, half shrieking. As he calms down, he clenches his left hand over his right fist, extends it, then brings it back to his chest. [Regaining focus]

"Oh, dear. 'scuse tha' behavior, I kinda..los' it there."

Rova retrieves the disgarded mace, hoping the damage isn't too bad - or that no one will notice..

Zhiden looked over his sword, and watched some of the acid dripping off of it, he hoped that it wasn't damaged, and it didn't seem to be. Looking over the cavern, he wondered aloud "What do you think this is, an escape route? Kind of strange to put it in the torture chamber, closer to the cells than the guard quarters."

Yes, it's placement marks it as a curious place for an exit. I think it's more likely that it's an entrance, one used for getting the poor fellows into the room...KnHistory:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15KnEngineering:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Ah, this must be the point at which the escape attempt was staged. Very exciting, I wonder how it was accomplished?
Vertielle searches the winch for tampering, then the portcullis, before entering U4- ideally side by side with Gkirkhan, and Rova close behind.

Upon entering the room, Zhiden braced for combat, holding both swords in front of him. He looked around the room, not wanting to touch anything he could help, not since Vertielle had been attacked by a pair of undead hands. That really hit the limit of what he'd wanted to see down here, not because the hands were particularly terrifying, but because it was so absurd. It was as if someone had been watching the group, and then left the hands there just to mess with their heads. To make matters even worse, Vertielle had picked one up!

My weapons have a hardness of 10 as well. Which is good, because being small shortswords, if one point of damage gets past the hardness rating, they are done for.

This chamber is labled The Oubliette. Empty cells, their iron dors askew, line this large, empty room. In the middle of the room a hinged, 10' square metal gratig lies over a dark pit in the floor. A thick rope has been tied to the grating and dangles into the pit below.

As you enter the room and begin looking around, the room echoes with a terrible, soul-chilling shriek. From the oubliette rises an incorporeal form, looking much as it must have n life except for the hideously elongated arms wielding an equally incorporeal axe.

For a moment, just a moment, the half-orc stands there dumbfounded. His friend was hurt. Vertielle was hurt and bleeding. He standx there for what is half an eternity to him.

Then something breaks.

The goofy Gkirkhan, who loved to drink and woo women is gone. In his place is something else, something that goes beyond his orc heritage. Something primal.

A feral snarl escapes his lips as he explodes into action. His hammer flies from his belt into his hands, an instrument ready to deliver his white-hot fury unto his foe. Muscles bulge and cord underneath the heavy jacket he wears and bring the weapon down in a powerful arc that smashes the stone floor into a cloud of chips and dust as an awful, terrifying roar fills the lower levels of the prison. Every breath comes out as a snarl as he straightens and glares at the incorporeal shadow of the man that can only be the Lopper from beneath the brim of his hat. A low growl that is barely intelligible is the only clue that, somehow, Gkirkhan is still in control.

The incorporeal axe sinks into Vertielle's skin to the hilt. A moment passes where she just looks surprised, rather than hurt, before the Lopper pulls his ghastly weapon free.
...Oh.
Vertielle sinks to one knee, staggering backwards, and violently coughs up blood.
KnReligion:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
She looks at the creature before her with genuine confusion, an expression of sadness, fear, and bewilderment, before she convulses, coughing up even more blood, holding herself in agony. Shining under the light of the torch, her blood pools under her, slickening the stone and dying her skirts a black red.
Fumbling in her pack, she manages to pull forth a green vial of viscous liquid, and drinks it greedily. With one hand she steadies herself, and with the other slowly combs the hair from her face to look at her attacker with a venomous intent.

As Vertielle swallows her potion, the blood continues to drip from her wound and some of it rises into the air and floats over to the Lopper, merging with his form. As it does so, the nasty wound left by Gkirkhan's blow seems to repair itself, just a bit.

Spoiler:

HP57 -(18/2)9 = 48 + 4 =5 2

The ghastly form smiles just a bit and moves to strike yet another victim.

Smite Evil (Su) If the target of smite evil is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to 2 points of damage per level...Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

Incorporeal... It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities...Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source...

As highlighted above, Smite Evil would deal full damage (it is not a spell or magic weapon) and additionally provides +2 damage per HD on the first successful attack.

From her quiver, Vertielle pulls an arrow shining with a nimbus of white light. The light seems to bounce off the Lopper, illuminating him in a strange, grisly fashion.
She tosses the glowing arrow to Zhiden, pushing herself to her feet as she does.
Put this in his ugly face, and don't let him wriggle away, either!
With a look of pure venom, she reaches for another arrow.
Okay, Vance, it's time you died again!

That's a +1 ghost touch arrow. Used as an Improvised Dagger, it'll let you sneak attack for full damage.

Thanks for the clarification Verteille. I knew there was a reason I thought celestial creatures can damage noncorporeal. The sure magic missiles seemed the best move this round. Smite evil for a celestial creature lasts until the targeted creature is dead or the celestial creature rests.

Actually, as I understand it, a summoned creature will strike true against an incorporeal creature it is using smite evil against for the duration of the smite effect (until the creature is destroyed), dealing full damage, and additionally gaining +2 damage per hit die on the first successful attack per round. Note that as the ability is supernatural, not a spell, enchanted weapon, or spell-like ability, it deals FULL damage against incorporeal creatures according to RAW- However, I believe it was INTENDED to deal half damage, like spells.

remember this?
Next morning, just after your breakfast, Father Grimburrow arrives, with an acolyte carrying two boxes.

"I have communed with the Lady of Graves this morning and she spoke to me in her role of Lady of Prophecy. These items you found, may I see them?"

He will examine each item carefully. "Hm. I do not completely understand her meaning, however, prophecy is intended as a guide. I can tell you that these items, while cursed, are not magical in and of themselves."

He pauses, thinking deeply. "Pharasma sent me a dream, and in that dream I heard this chant:"

"Past a body with no head
Bloody axe sends him to bed

Shed some blood and play the pipe
As stirges fail, a soul falls ripe

As splatters spell out names so bright
Then page by page the author fight

With a hammer killed his wife
Now hammer's shame will take his life

Should tricksy father tell a lie
If you believe, then you will die"

The Lady of Graves told you folks to bring that thing. Someone better have it.

Zhiden had to admit that Vertielle was really something. One moment she was making appallingly racist comments as though they were nothing, and the next she was offering up the very thing necessary to do his job. Though it did seem entirely possible that her usefulness could be entirely motivated by self preservation. Regardless to the reasons, Zhiden had an objective at hand.

He dodged around the creature, and stabbed into it with the arrow he'd been given.

Will save to cast1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12Crap, not again. Plan is to cast the magic missile from the pages of the Splatterman's spellbook as if it is a scroll and removing the spell from the page. Let me know if this works or not.
Wood is again enamored by the writing of the Splatterman in the margins of his new spellbook and is quite distracted.

Since gkirkhan's Raging right now, he's probably not in his right mind, or willing to listen to anyone, so I'm gonna do this a little differently, and probably bend some rules in the process. Lemme know if it's too much.

Gkirkhan's head jerks as something flat and metal smacks the back of it hard enough to get the raging half-orc's attention.

"Vot de?!"

He drops his sword and reaches around his head with both hands to get what struck him. He's a little surprised to find an axe in his hands. Something sparks a memory in the half-orc, well that or he snapped and started laughing in maniacal glee.